


Smell the Roses

by maemusicmelody



Series: Thousand Ways to Say I love you [6]
Category: Zodiac OCs
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-17 19:59:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18105428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maemusicmelody/pseuds/maemusicmelody
Summary: Felice is Tiger. Yumiko is a Rabbit. The two couldn't be more different, but it only made the love more exciting, right?





	Smell the Roses

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bxanie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bxanie/gifts).



> After writing this I think I'm starting to understand where the disconnect was. I'm beginning to understand what goes on in my mind and what goes on in yours. It's strange, how looking at it from another perspective can make it seem a lot clearer compared to when the situation is actually happening and the emotions are in the way of logic. 
> 
> Tiger and Bunny are adorable and I love them so much. I want to write a book about their adventure. Zodiacs have always been an interest I love.

“Catch me if you can.”

A roar. A tiger's roar.

Yet as scary as it might sound to someone passing by, to the other, it was a laugh. The sweetest laugh she could have heard.

“You think you can beat me?”

“Please. I know I can.”

The ruffling of grass beneath their paws, crunching sound of leaves and snapping sounds of twigs breaking filled the air around them, breaking the silence of the still night.

A clicking sound, almost like a squeak yet not quite, followed by another roar. What was that sound? Or rather, who was making it?

“Slowpoke!”

“Fight me, Kitty Cat.”

“You know I would, Cottontail.”

Was the large cat hunting the small rabbit? It seemed that way from the looks of it. The white ball of fur was ahead of the other, but not by much. Any minute, the tigress could pounce and rip the rabbit into shreds. She would piece through the soft fur and skin, blood flying everywhere but ending up mostly in the big mouth of hers.

But that's not what happened.

The Tigress pounced and there was a squeal.

Was if of pain?

No.

The big orange cat had her face against the rabbit, but no blood, no death. She was nuzzling the small creature, that was barely the size of her paw, licking and cleaning the soft white fur and even nipping lightly to tickle the other.

“Got you, Yumi!” She chuckled, holding the rabbit firmly yet gently at the same time.

“You always did have way of finding me, Felice.”The rabbit chuckled, giving up her struggles and instead relaxing against the girl's giant paw.

“Well… you were the one I was meant to find.” She simple retorted, letting the rabbit go and slowly turned back to her human form.

“I mean. Ya also found meh when no one else was looking.” The rabbit followed soon after, growing bigger until she too was human with her bunny ears still flopping down and blending with her silver hair. She shook off the dirt before rolling over to lay down and curl up next to her.

The stars were shining above them, twinking as if speaking words they could not hear. They laid there in silence for a while, just curled up against one another.

“It's overwhelming.” Yumi's voice was calm and steady, but Felice could feel the rabbit beginning to shake next to her.

“What do you mean?” The tiger asked, tilting her head so she could look at the girl.

Yumi shook her head, keeping her eyes to the stars. “Everything I guess… ta think. I've lived many lives, but have no memory of it… What was I like before? Did I make da same mistakes? Did I become better or did I become worse? Am I going ta do better dis time around?”

Tiger listened to her without saying a word, as if contemplating what was needed to be said, but honestly, she hadn't thought of it that way. Even if she didn't know the answer, she knew the anxious rabbit needed some sort of answer. “Well, I don't think we need to worry too much about that. You are you. I am me. Who cares what happened in the past? I only care about the now.”

Rabbit nodded her head again and quickly threw herself against the other. Her shaking only grew worse. “Mah brain likes ta think. Think of da past. Think of da future. Think of what could go wrong. Hope for tings ta go right. Wonder what I could have done better… what I could have prevented. I don't want ta make mistakes but I know I will. Im scared, Felice. I wish my brain would stop worrying.”

“I wish it would stop worrying too, you silly bunny.” She tapped the top of Yumi's forehead, giving it a hard enough flick on the head to make the girl squeak in pain, but then she leaned down to kiss the red spot. “You worry so much, that you forget the present. You forget to enjoy what you already have right in front of you. Who cares what has gone or what will happen next?”

“I do…” Yumiko interjected only to get another flick on the head.

“Quiet you! Listen okay, Yumiko Usagi…” Her voice was stern, yet tender. “You're a stubborn Rabbit and way too sensitive about stupid things, much like your zodiac to be honest. Your mind runs as fast as your little feeties do. It's one of your faults and you have many, as do all of us. I learned to accept it and love you despite it. I just wish you could love yourself and maybe you could take a breath and finally breathe.”

Silence between the two of them, but then Tiger continued. “Life isn't a race you know. Sure it's nice to know where you're going or where you came from, but it's also nice to just stop and smell the roses once in a while.”

“Ya sound like an old man.” Yumiko finally said, teasingly like she always did. She had a difficulty accepting things she didn't understand, often making a joke in order to cope with her shortcomings. She knew in her mind that Tiger was right, but her brain was still running marathons.

“If you're gonna be like that, I won't answer your questions anymore “ The Tiger huffed angrily, wanting to turn away but at the same time she didn't want to release the other from her grasp. So instead, she closed her eyes and growled in irritation. Sometimes that Rabbit just made her so frustrated. She just wanted to help but sometimes Yumiko made her feel like she didn't care about her words.

Yumiko stayed quiet for a moment, knowing she made the tigress upset. A small squeak escaped her lips, whining and hoping the other would open her eyes, but it only seemed to make the other angrier.

“You're just like your zodiac too. Short tempered and quick to assume…” her voice was slightly annoyed too, but she nuzzled the other softly to let her know she meant no harm. “Thank you for being here, even though I'm such a scaredy bunny… I know I much be a handful to love… a burden, maybe. But you know, I know you are right. I want to stop and smell the roses, as long as you're there.”

There was another grunt from the tigress, but it was less aggressive this time. “I'm hurt. I feel like nothing I tell you matters. I want you to just listen and trust me, Yumiko. I've never done anything to make you doubt me, have I?”

“No, you have not.” Yumiko shook her head.

“Then why. I'm just trying to make you feel better, tell you my opinion… and you shrug it off with a joke? That hurts me, Yumiko. I want you to care.” There seemed to be tears welling up even though her eyes remained closed. She roared a bit, before biting down on her lips to hold back. She didn't want to bite the rabbit and let her rage get out of control, but the stupid rabbit could be so stubborn.

But the Tiger could be stubborn too.

“You've been holding these feelings in, huh?” Yumiko finally said, sitting up and starting at the other with a concerned look. She gently ran her fingers through the dark black hair, brushing the strands between her finger tips. “I'm sorry for not noticing you were in pain, Felice… I can be a dumb bunny sometimes huh?”

“You are a big dummy!” Tiger cried out, curling up a bit at her side but closer to the rabbit.

“You can tell me anything okay? I'm dense when it comes to feelings… but if you tell me what's wrong, I will listen.” She reassured the other, continuing to run her fingers through the soft strands. “I'm sorry I make ya feel unheard. It's not dat I don't care. I act the way I do, because I care too much.”

“That doesn't make sense! If you love me, you should notice when what you say upsets me! What I feel matters too!”

“They do matter… they do. Shh… I'm sorry dat you feel untrusted. I'm scared, not because I don't trust you as a person, I'm scared because I'm scared of the day I make a mistake and all my hard work ends up being for nothin’. I love you a lot, Felice. I'm scared of the possibility of not having a future with you.”

“But I'm not going anywhere. Can't you just trust my words? I already said I'm not going anywhere so why can't you just believe me and love me!?” The tiger roared, turning back into animal form and pouncing the girl angrily. Her fangs were beared out in front of the other, but the rabbit girl didn't flinch. Instead, she reached out and stroke the soft fur as she did with her hair before.

“Maybe that's where we don't understand each other. A Tiger and a Bunny. Our ideas don't align and it's frustrating. Different ideas of the meaning of trust… love… correct me if I'm wrong but I think ya definition of trust is ta not question things? You dun like it when I have doubts and need constant reassurance. You dun like me asking too many questions or getting upset when something makes me nervous. Is that correct? Am I understanding correctly?”

The tiger only growled more, bright green cat orbs glaring into the bunny girl's ocean blue eyes. “My definition of trust is bein’ able ta talk ta someone without fear. I trust you enough ta share my fears and worries… I show my trust by being able ta be emotional because I dun show my emotions to anyone else but you. No one knows me da way you do, ya know? With everyone else, I fake a smile, fake my confidence, fake my intelligence. I trust you ta love me even when I'm sad, even when I'm scared, even when I'm stupid. I trust you so I let myself be vulnerable. That's my definition of trust. Does dat make sense?”

The tiger huffed. No it didn't really make sense to her, but maybe rabbit was right. Maybe the disconnect was their different definitions… expectations of things.

How much more different could they be after all? A Tiger and a Rabbit? 

“We are different, and that's scary… i dunno know about you, but it's a terrifying thought.” Yumiko whispered and wiped away a tear from her own face. It was hard to talk about this stuff, but she was glad they were.

“We react differently to thinks too, I've noticed. I joke around and make fun of things I dun understand. Ya bottle them up until you're so frustratedyoa explode. I get frustrated about little things, but I also get over things quickly. Little things aren't a big deal to you, but when ya get angry, ya hold a grudge in your heart. I'm impulsive in a sense that I don't know how to hold my tongue, You're impulsive in a sense you act very quickly.” Somehow despite the seriousness of the conversation, Yumiko found a laugh, cracking up her voice and making her even hiccup. The tears began to flow more but she still smiled despite it.

“We are a big mess, huh?” She laughed. “Here we are having a serious conversation, and I laugh because that's how I cope with scary situations.”

The Tiger roared once then leaned forward to rest her forehead against the girl, and Yumiko leaned forward so she could wrap around the other's neck. “Do ya know about music, Felice? On da piano dere are black keys, and white keys… when ya play a piece, it is written in’na certain key. Ya not supposed ta break the rule in the song technically, but a lotta times ya play something called ‘accidentals’. Kinda reminds me of us. There’s mistakes and stuff that's not planned, not supposed to be dere, but somehow it creates such beautiful music.”

She kissed the Tiger's forehead and nuzzled her gently. “There's a lotta tings I dun understand, Felice. I dun understand ya, but I'm trying ta ‘cause I love you. I'm sorry I made you angry.”

Felice morphed down back into human form, pressing her body against the other and resting her head against Yumiko's chest. “I'm sorry I got angry. I should work on my temper.”

“And I should work on noticing your feelings…” Yumiko nuzzled her face into the girl's hair. “I love you Felice, more dan anythin’. I will tink more bout it so I can do a better job in understanding’ where ya coming from, kay?”

“I'll do the same.” Felice nodded her head and smiled a bit. She wiped the tears off both their faces before leaning in for a chaste kiss. “I love you too, Yumiko. Thank you for listening to my concerns.”

“No need to. It's my job to give ya da best of me, right?”

Felice smirked slightly, letting her fingers run against the bunny's side so she could elicit the sweet squeaks she made whenever she was tickled. “I thought your job was makin’ money workin’ for that arcade downtown?”

“Who's da jokester now, silly? Thought ya wanted a serious talk?” Yumiko squealed, trying to push the other off her, but the tiger was of course much stronger than the rabbit.

“Yes, but I think we got what needed to be said out of the way. Now I just want to enjoy the moment and smell the roses with you!”

“Not if ya can't catch me!” Yumiko managed to get up and dash away, turning into  a small white ball.

“I'll always catch you, wherever you may be.” Felice followed soon after, a large Tigress running through the grass.

Both of them smiled and laughed. The roars and squeaks filled the night air once more. The spark was burning bright into a flame. Hot. It was scary because it might burn, but the warmth of it made it oh so safe.


End file.
